Day One Actions to Fulfill Biden Pledges on Climate and the Environment
We identified executive actions that the Biden/Harris administration could take in its first 100 days to advance the campaign’s climate and energy policy pledges. During the campaign, Biden promised to “use the full authority of the executive branch to make progress and significantly reduce emissions.” This list draws on several sources in addition to the campaign pledges, including our own regulatory rollback tracker, and other trusted sources such as Climate 21 (the EPA chapter of which we are co-authors), and the Environmental Protection Network. The pledges are listed alphabetically, and action items are listed by agency.
Because many actions cannot be completed in a single day, we project likely timing for each one e.g., Day 1 – Initiate; First 100 Days – Accomplish. The list is not comprehensive—there may be additional policy actions that could help to fulfill the President-Elect’s Day One pledges.
Biden Pledge: “Accelerate the development and deployment of carbon capture sequestration technology”
Department of Energy
- Fossil Energy Program, R&D: Focus on Low Carbon Technology (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Ban new oil and gas permitting on public lands and waters”
Department of the Interior
- Oil & Gas: Revisit Offshore 5-Year Leasing Program (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Oil & Gas: Limit New Permitting on Public Lands (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Public Lands: Revisit National Petroleum Reserve Oil and Gas Development (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of Agriculture
- Oil & Gas: Revisit Forest Service Regulations (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Develop renewables on federal lands and waters with the goal of doubling offshore wind by 2030”
Department of Energy
- Renewable Energy: Revive and Expand DOE Loan Programs (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of the Interior
- Offshore Wind: Expedite Approval of Pending Projects (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of Agriculture
- Renewable Energy, Rural Utilities Service Programs: Promote Green Energy and Smart Grids (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Doubling down on the liquid fuels of the future”
Environmental Protection Agency
- Advanced Fuels, Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Implement under CAA §211 (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Advanced Fuels, Renewable Fuel Standard: Promote Advanced Cellulosic Ethanol & Biomethane (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Establish targeted programs to enhance reforestation”
Department of Agriculture
- Forests: Establish Carbon Bank to Finance GHG Reduction and Carbon Sequestration Activities (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Forests: Set Broad Reforestation Targets (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Governance: Establish Bipartisan Wildfire Commission of Governors to Modernize Fire Fighting Response (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Modify royalties to account for climate costs”
Department of the Interior
- Oil & Gas: Revisit Valuation Rule for Federal Leases (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge”
Department of the Interior
- ANWR: Revisit Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Protect America’s National Treasures”
Environmental Protection Agency
- Water Quality, Non-Point Source Pollution: Revisit TMDLs for Chesapeake Bay (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of the Interior
- Coastline Protection: Revisit Coastal Barrier Resources Sand Policy (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Commercial Fishing in Marine Sanctuaries: Revisit Northeast Canyons and Seamounts (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Commercial Fishing in Marine Sanctuaries: Revisit Pacific Remote Islands, Pacific Ocean (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Commercial Fishing in Marine Sanctuaries: Revisit Rose Atoll, Pacific Ocean (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- National Parks and Monuments: Protect Bears Ears, Utah (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- National Parks and Monuments: Reinstate Disposable Plastic Bottle Ban (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- National Parks and Monuments: Protect Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Oil & Gas Safety: Revisit Blowout Preventer and Well Control Rule (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Oil & Gas Safety: Revisit Offshore Production Safety Systems Rule (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- National Parks and Monuments: Revisit Director’s Order 100 (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Protect biodiversity, slow extinction rates”
Army Corps of Engineers
- Biodiversity: Revisit Bristol Bay Pebble Mine (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of Commerce
- Biodiversity: Revisit Pacific Bycatch Limits (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Protection (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Environmental Protection Agency
- Biodiversity: Revisit Pesticide Protections for Species & Wildlife under the ESA (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of the Interior
- Biodiversity: Revisit ESA Protections – Definition of “Habitat” (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit ESA Protections – Interagency Cooperation (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Restore ESA Protections – Prohibitions to Threatened Wildlife and Plants (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit ESA Protections – Restore Listing Species and Designating Critical Habitat – (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit Neonicotinoid and GMOs Ban in National Wildlife Refuges (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit Compensatory Mitigation Policy (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit Migratory Bird Treaty Act Enforcement (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Biodiversity: Revisit Greater Sage-Grouse Protection (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Public Lands: Revisit Hunting in National Preserves and Wildlife Refuges in Alaska (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Re-enter the Paris Agreement on day one”
Environmental Protection Agency
- Paris Climate Agreement: Help Prepare NDC Analysis (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of State
- Paris Climate Agreement: Rejoin Agreement (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Reduce GHG emissions from transportation . . . and develop rigorous new fuel economy standards”
Environmental Protection Agency
- Vehicles: Revisit CA CAA Waiver, CAFE Standards / GHG Tailpipe Standards (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Vehicles: Strengthen CAFE Standards / GHG Tailpipe Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Vehicles: Strengthen CAFE Standards / GHG Tailpipe Standards for Light Duty Vehicles (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Vehicles: Strengthen Nitrogen Oxide Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of Transportation
- Vehicles: Strengthen Penalties for Violations of CAFE Standards for Light Duty Vehicles (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Biden Pledge: “Require aggressive methane pollution limits”
Environmental Protection Agency
- Methane / VOCs: Revisit Oil and Gas Sector Standards for New & Existing Sources (Day 1 – Initiate)
- GHG Emissions, Municipal Solid Waste: Regulate New and Existing Sources (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of the Interior
- Methane: Revisit Offshore Flaring, Venting and Leaks (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Methane: Require Operators to Promptly Plug Idle Wells (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Methane: Cut Case-by-Case via Permits and Approvals for Venting & Flaring (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Oil & Gas: Revisit Financial Assurance Requirements for Orphan Well Clean-Up (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
- Methane: Implement Waste Prevention Rule (Federal Lands) (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Require any federal permitting decisions to consider effects of GHG emissions and climate change”
Army Corps of Engineers
- Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL): Revisit Permit (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Keystone XL Pipeline: Revisit Nationwide Permit 12 (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of Energy
- GHG Emissions: Update Study of Lifecycle of Global Impacts of LNG exports (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of the Interior
- Coal Production: Revisit Federal Coal Leasing Moratorium (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Keystone XL Pipeline: Revisit Right of Way Grant (Day 1 – Initiate)
Department of State
- Keystone XL Pipeline: Revisit Cross-Border Permit1 (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Require public companies to disclose climate risks and the GHG emissions in their operations and supply chains”
Securities and Exchange Commission
- Disclosure of Climate-Related Financial Risks: Issue Guidance, Possible Rulemaking (First 100 Days – Accomplish)
Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration
- Revisit DOL-EBSA Proposed Revisions to Investment Duties Regulation2 (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Save consumers money and reduce emissions through new, aggressive appliance- and building-efficiency standards”
Department of Energy
- Efficiency: Revisit Energy Conservation Standards for Light Bulbs (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Efficiency: Revisit Energy Conservation Standards Program Procedures (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Efficiency: Upgrade Energy Conservation Standards for Appliances (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Sign a series of new executive orders” on climate change
Environmental Protection Agency
- HFCs: Develop a Coordinated Regulatory Plan & Implement Kigali Amendment (Day 1 – Initiate)
Executive Office of the President
- Environmental Studies: Strengthen Social Cost of Carbon Calculations Across Government (Day 1 – Initiate)
Biden Pledge: “Use the Federal government procurement system” to purchase “zero-emissions vehicles” and to ensure that “all U.S. government installations, buildings, and facilities are more efficient and climate-ready”
Executive Office of the President
- Vehicles: Issue EO or Presidential Memorandum Requiring New Light Duty Vehicles to be “Zero Emissions Vehicles” (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Vehicles: Issue EO or Presidential Memorandum Requiring Agencies to Publicly Disclose Fleet Information, Determine Optimal Fleet Inventory, and Create Fleet Management Plans to Reduce Emissions (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Buildings: Issue EO or Presidential Memorandum Requiring all U.S. Government Buildings, Facilities, and Installations to be Net-Zero by 2030, Reduce Water Consumption, and Use Sustainable Products (Day 1 – Initiate)
- Buildings: Issue EO or Presidential Memorandum Requiring Review of Climate Adaptation Measures for all U.S. Government Buildings, Facilities, and Installations (Day 1 – Initiate)